Did you do the pigeon task? They didn't show you doing it.Cathi: We got there and it was so dark that they didn't release the pigeons. They just gave us a card of the address of where the pigeon would be. That was just [more confirmation] that we were last.

Do you know how much time you lost trying to find the pigeons?Bill: Probably an hour. We got there very late. The signage near the town — I don't know if someone turned the sign slightly or what — but that took us nearly half an hour, running back and forth. We went to the wrong spot on the wall, so some nice young kids directed us to the right end of the wall. It was so dark that we ended up going around the wall and finally we found the clues down below, which some of the teams drove up and spotted immediately. It helped to have a little sunlight. It took us quite awhile. Once we had that, we were able to head back to Brussels pretty fast. We lost enough time. We hadn't seen any other team. We figured it was about the end.

Why was it so hard to find the place?Cathi: It was a very small place, but the actual wall is a fence kind of thing that goes around a small peak. It just meanders and it's clear on the back of the town. People would say, "You go here, you go here, you go here," but really, you had to be at exactly the right spot.Bill: Also the roads don't go straight, so pretty soon you're headed back the way you just came and you're in more trouble. The people are nice and know the terrain pretty well, but they don't understand that when they say this, it doesn't make sense to you. You're taking the first street that turns off and they mean the main street that turns off way up the hill.

You seemed to have trouble with self-navigation. You lost time heading to Legoland last week and now this.Cathi: I wouldn't say that we were bad at navigation in that we never went the wrong way on the freeway ever. We were very cautious, maybe too cautious. We stopped and asked probably more often than maybe some of the other teams. The other thing is, looking back, we weren't as aggressive in our driving as we probably should've been. In other words, we really did take them at their word when they said to go the speed limit. I think some of the other teams were more aggressive in their driving and could make up any error time. We just kind of kept it at the speed limit the whole time. Maybe if we had driven faster, we could've caught up with someone. We had great luck in Copenhagen with the directions and the driving, but no such luck here.

Why weren't you more aggressive?Cathi: We're pretty rule-bound. When they say "go the speed limit," we go the speed limit. If we were to do it again, we wouldn't go the speed limit. [Laughs] We'd speed and if we get a 10-minute penalty, whoopee! Because you've made up those 10 minutes.Bill: In total, it was almost 1,000 kilometers of driving. We'd been in Europe a number of times, but we always used mass transit, so as far as the driving goes, I wasn't accustomed to it, so I didn't push it. We could've made up a lot of time in that manner. We got directions that weren't easily understood, so when you ran out of what you understood, you stopped and asked again.

After being almost goners the first leg, how did it feel to make the final five? Cathi: We were grateful for every moment. To have [been saved by] two non-elimination legs? We were extremely grateful for the first non-elimination because we had such a difficult time finding the board. So after that, it was like, "Do the best you can, enjoy every minute" and we did. Before the race began, the philosophy was "most of you will be eliminated," so you go in knowing that and knowing you're taking a huge risk exposing yourself. But it was definitely worth it.

How do you keep in such great shape? I think everyone wants to look as good as you guys do in their 60s.Cathi: [Laughs] Did you like how the bodybuilder noticed that?

They paid you more compliments than they did any other team.Cathi: I know! We work out, probably four to six times a week. We've done it for years and years. It's not something we did two or three months [before the race]. It's a lifestyle for us. We do it because we want to live as long and as happily and as healthy as we can.

Cathi, you kept falling down. How many bruises did you get? Cathi: I was covered with bruises after the rice patty. There were no real injuries at all. My balance isn't very good to begin with and we neglected to take our backpacks off, so the weight would shift and I would fall.Bill: She also managed to get some beauties hanging onto the elephant. You kept going up and down on that, and she got her arms bruised up trying to hang on.Cathi: Afterward, I asked the cameraman if he would put the falls together [in a montage] for me because it was just hilarious!

What are you up to now?Cathi: We are going to New Zealand in two and a half weeks. Our daughter's husband is from New Zealand, so our whole family is going there for Christmas. It's summer there, so to leave Oregon and to go to New Zealand will be great.

When Oregonians Bill and Cathi Alden were selected by CBS to fill a "category" on "The Amazing Race," they knew they would be known as the show's "older couple" (he's 63, she's 62). But they defied the odds, staying in the competition longer than many older teams from past seasons before the Aldens were eliminated in last Sunday's episode.

Bill and Cathi, who have been married for 41 years and live between Albany and Corvallis, landed in fifth place, long enough to make it through 10 episodes of the 12-episode season.

Even in elimination, Bill and Cathi were sent packing in the kindest way possible, receiving a montage tribute from the show that most eliminated teams don't get.

"We felt like they were giving us a nice send-off," Cathi said this week after the episode aired. "We don't remember them doing that very often. We thought they were being tender."

It was a fitting farewell for the good-natured couple, who exited smiling, with their heads held high.

"It's been a hoot," Bill said on the show, "and if anything, it's improved Cathi's and my relationship."

"If there's one thing we've proven it's that age will not stop you from doing well on 'The Amazing Race,'" Cathi said upon their exit in front of the Atomium museum in Brussels.

After their exit, the pair were sequestered in a hotel room in Brussels until being transported to the race's finish line -- they're not yet allowed to say where that is -- to cheer on the winning team. The season finale will air at 8 p.m. next Sunday on CBS.

The Aldens said they've been watching "The Amazing Race" this season at the homes of assorted friends and relatives. They were driving back from visiting family in California last Sunday and got home just in time to watch their exit episode.

Seeing their adventure edited for TV helped fill them in on how well other teams did or didn't perform at assorted tasks.

"Unless the other team is right around you, you don't get to see what things went wrong for them and what went right for them," Bill said. "You can feel stupid, but then you watch it on TV and realize, 'We weren't the only ones who had trouble with that part of it.'"

Challenges late in the season included a stage performance, which was in Cathi's comfort zone as a former English teacher, and stripping down to a bikini, spraying on tanning oil and striking muscle poses, which was not.

"As long as my clothes are on, I'm fine," Cathi said. After they successfully completed that task, one of the muscular judges complimented Bill.

"Cathi and I both work out," Bill said. "We swim a couple of miles and do spin classes and I do weights at home and floor exercises, so I probably had some definition some of the others didn't have. At my age, it was probably a surprise (to the judges), so it felt pretty good to get the compliment after the stress of that event."

Right after that competition, the pair hurried to one of the race's pit stops, where they expected to be eliminated, but the round was a non-elimination leg. The couple almost looked a little chagrined that they would have to continue in the race.

"Actually, what you detected is I was so sure it was going to be a pit stop that I didn't put on my underwear after the tanning oil because I didn't want to ruin all my clothes, so I was thinking, 'Oh my gosh, I have to do something here about what I'm wearing,'" Cathi recalled, laughing. She ultimately made a quick change in a nearby port-a-potty.

If they had to do the race over, the Aldens said they would have been more conscientious about eating, skipping fewer meals, and they would have played more aggressively.

"We followed all the speed limits. We did not want to get a ticket or penalty of any kind and we were too cautious," Cathi said. "We should have done what we do here and that is to go 10 kilometers over the speed limit."

But they were pleased with their approach to hiring taxis.

"We made sure the cabdriver knew where we were going and didn't just say he did to get us in the cab," Bill said. "At one point we passed five cabs before we took the sixth one."

"We were very strategic about picking someone who knew where we needed to go and wanted to be part of our team," Cathi continued. "We quickly got his or her name and tried to engage them in being our partner in the race. We had a wonderful camaraderie with the drivers as we were moving through the game."

"The Amazing Race" When: 8 p.m. Sundays Channel: CBS (6) Website:cbs.com/shows/amazing_race Since this season of "The Amazing Race" began airing in September, the Aldens said they've been recognized in public while traveling in airports and even at home.

"We sold something on Craigslist and the woman came to the door and when she saw us, she said, "You're on 'The Amazing Race!'" Cathi said. "People have been so kind, it's really fun."

The Aldens are already preparing for their next trip to New Zealand, where their son-in-law is from. And they don't rule out returning to "The Amazing Race" if asked back for a future "All-Stars" season.

"It depends on how much older we are," Cathi said.

"In (a few) days I'll be 64," Bill said.

"We could really knock the socks off the age record," Cathi added.

When Oregonians Bill and Cathi Alden were selected by CBS to fill a "category" on "The Amazing Race," they knew they would be known as the show's "older couple" (he's 63, she's 62). But they defied the odds, staying in the competition longer than many older teams from past seasons before the Aldens were eliminated in last Sunday's episode.

Bill and Cathi, who have been married for 41 years and live between Albany and Corvallis, landed in fifth place, long enough to make it through 10 episodes of the 12-episode season.

Even in elimination, Bill and Cathi were sent packing in the kindest way possible, receiving a montage tribute from the show that most eliminated teams don't get.

"We felt like they were giving us a nice send-off," Cathi said this week after the episode aired. "We don't remember them doing that very often. We thought they were being tender."

It was a fitting farewell for the good-natured couple, who exited smiling, with their heads held high.

"It's been a hoot," Bill said on the show, "and if anything, it's improved Cathi's and my relationship."

"If there's one thing we've proven it's that age will not stop you from doing well on 'The Amazing Race,'" Cathi said upon their exit in front of the Atomium museum in Brussels.

After their exit, the pair were sequestered in a hotel room in Brussels until being transported to the race's finish line -- they're not yet allowed to say where that is -- to cheer on the winning team. The season finale will air at 8 p.m. next Sunday on CBS.

The Aldens said they've been watching "The Amazing Race" this season at the homes of assorted friends and relatives. They were driving back from visiting family in California last Sunday and got home just in time to watch their exit episode.

Seeing their adventure edited for TV helped fill them in on how well other teams did or didn't perform at assorted tasks.

"Unless the other team is right around you, you don't get to see what things went wrong for them and what went right for them," Bill said. "You can feel stupid, but then you watch it on TV and realize, 'We weren't the only ones who had trouble with that part of it.'"

Challenges late in the season included a stage performance, which was in Cathi's comfort zone as a former English teacher, and stripping down to a bikini, spraying on tanning oil and striking muscle poses, which was not.

"As long as my clothes are on, I'm fine," Cathi said. After they successfully completed that task, one of the muscular judges complimented Bill.

"Cathi and I both work out," Bill said. "We swim a couple of miles and do spin classes and I do weights at home and floor exercises, so I probably had some definition some of the others didn't have. At my age, it was probably a surprise (to the judges), so it felt pretty good to get the compliment after the stress of that event."

Right after that competition, the pair hurried to one of the race's pit stops, where they expected to be eliminated, but the round was a non-elimination leg. The couple almost looked a little chagrined that they would have to continue in the race.

"Actually, what you detected is I was so sure it was going to be a pit stop that I didn't put on my underwear after the tanning oil because I didn't want to ruin all my clothes, so I was thinking, 'Oh my gosh, I have to do something here about what I'm wearing,'" Cathi recalled, laughing. She ultimately made a quick change in a nearby port-a-potty.

If they had to do the race over, the Aldens said they would have been more conscientious about eating, skipping fewer meals, and they would have played more aggressively.

"We followed all the speed limits. We did not want to get a ticket or penalty of any kind and we were too cautious," Cathi said. "We should have done what we do here and that is to go 10 kilometers over the speed limit."

But they were pleased with their approach to hiring taxis.

"We made sure the cabdriver knew where we were going and didn't just say he did to get us in the cab," Bill said. "At one point we passed five cabs before we took the sixth one."

"We were very strategic about picking someone who knew where we needed to go and wanted to be part of our team," Cathi continued. "We quickly got his or her name and tried to engage them in being our partner in the race. We had a wonderful camaraderie with the drivers as we were moving through the game."

"The Amazing Race" When: 8 p.m. Sundays Channel: CBS (6) Website:cbs.com/shows/amazing_race Since this season of "The Amazing Race" began airing in September, the Aldens said they've been recognized in public while traveling in airports and even at home.

"We sold something on Craigslist and the woman came to the door and when she saw us, she said, "You're on 'The Amazing Race!'" Cathi said. "People have been so kind, it's really fun."

The Aldens are already preparing for their next trip to New Zealand, where their son-in-law is from. And they don't rule out returning to "The Amazing Race" if asked back for a future "All-Stars" season.

Bill & Cathi Alden got a second chance on The Amazing Race when they arrived last at the pitstop (following on from last week's 'to be continued' leg) only to learn the race was still on! Unfortunately for the grandparents from Albany, Oregon, they just couldn't make up the time throughout this week's leg in Belgium and ended up checking in last once again and being eliminated from the race.

Digital Spy spoke to Bill (63) & Cathi (62) about their experience on the race, whether their age was really a factor, and that bodybuilding challenge...

Did you really not think you'd get as far as you did?

Cathi: "The thing about the race is that we've watched it for so many years, we know there are so many circumstantial things that can cause a team difficulty that I think it would be really arrogant to go in thinking anything about how you might finish. We knew we were fit and healthy and had strategies in mind but you just don't know about the uncertainty."

What was the reaction of your friends and family when you told them you were on the race?

Bill: "At first they thought we were joking and then they were really excited. I think probably our children - at least one of them - was sort of apprehensive about the thought of his parents being on TV and him having to face his friends! We were supported tremendously by our family and friends. It wasn't like, 'Oh my gosh, you're going to embarrass us!' It was good."

What sort of preparation did you do before the race?

Cathi: "We intensified our physical training just a little bit. We swim, bike, run or walk all week long - we have a routine. I added some upper body work and Bill added a little more running and some special work around his calves because they can cramp. We did pay a little bit more attention to it but, again, at our age you weren't going to make huge differences in a couple of months."

I guess no matter how much preparation you did nothing could prepare you for that bodybuilding challenge...

Cathi: "Oh dear heavens! I would have done anything in the world, jumped out of a plane without a parachute before I would have taken off my clothes! That is not a choice we would make in real life!"

Was there ever any thought of not doing it?

Cathi: "No, and that was one of the things we said at the beginning that we really meant. There was nothing we wouldn't do, short of being illegal, to participate. The race has always been fair in that respect. They don't ask people to do things that are immoral or illegal."

You guys were obviously fit on the race, but was there any time in particular you found your age having an effect?

Cathi: "The only way we thought it might have been a factor was that we didn't have time to recoup and so the bounce back effect when you're 62 we think is different to when you're 32. We wondered, of course we didn't know, if the younger teams had the ability to go without sleep or food at regular intervals and bounce back better than we did."

I guess that made this super-leg even harder because there was no pitstop break...

Cathi: "Right, and so again, we were ready to do anything but I think maybe we felt more fatigued than the other teams. But who knows? They were certainly working hard too."

Did you think you could make up the time on this leg or were you running it thinking that it was probably your last?

Bill: "One of the fun aspects about the race is how unpredictable it is. You need directions and somebody gives you the exact opposite of what you're supposed to do, or your car breaks down, or someone gets sick. Any number of things can completely change the order of things.

"We knew we were in deep water but there is always a chance that something will happen to another team. As it turned out, some things happened to us that put us even further behind, but that's the mystery of the game and what makes it fun to watch and actually be in. It was such a surprise sometimes when you finished higher than you thought and then depressing when you finished lower than you thought!

"We knew we were in trouble but there was always that chance and we hung in there and did our best but it wasn't to be that time."

Bill, after your elimination you said the race had improved your relationship but it seemed so perfect already! How did it improve?

Bill: The race puts you in stress situations to the point where you are running on adrenaline. Over the years we've always been there for each other, of course, but in these situations you are absolutely there for each other. I saw a depth that we both shared with each other on the race that was even better than before."

Cathi: "The thing is that when you're in constant crisis day after day after day, it was very comforting for me to always know Bill would pick up if I fell down or if I couldn't do something he'd be at my elbow to help. You don't have that on a day to day basis, everything here was so intensified."

Did you really get to see much of the countries you visited and is there anywhere you hope to return to?

Cathi: "I think because of our age we worked hard to enjoy every opportunity when we were in a cab or bus or train to look at the countryside and engage whomever was around us to learn about the country. Malawi was special to us, not only because we'd never been to Africa, but also because we had great success there and a lot of it was because the people were so supportive."

What else are you planning for the future?

Cathi: "We are heading to New Zealand with our adult children and son-in-law and granddaughter for the holidays. We're very excited, we've never been there. It's further expanding our Amazing Race a little bit!"

Isn't that the extreme sports capital of the world...

Cathi: "Yes, it is, and we have extreme children so it should be really fun!"Bill: "That's another aspect about us. Our children are extremely active and we're a very close family so the thought of not staying fit and not being able to do things with our kids just doesn't work."

How did they react to the bodybuilding?

Cathi: "One of them texted us during the show and said, 'You're right, I'm dying here!' Our daughter texted, 'You guys are so awesome'. They've been very, very fun. They were all here for the first episode, which was just dismal, and they even endured that with us!"

Who do you want to win the race?

Cathi: "We really enjoyed all of the teams and we're hesitant at this point to pick a favorite because it's all so up in the air."Bill: "We saw strengths that will work for each of the teams and weaknesses - and there are always surprises at every turn!" Cathi: "Our favorite team already got eliminated...Bill: "Yes, us!"

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

While Bill and Cathi Alden were the last team to reach Phil Keoghan in September's season premiere of "The Amazing Race," it looked like they were going to be the latest in a long line of "older" teams to make early exits from the CBS favorite.

Instead, the 60-something married grandparents were spared by the first Non-Elimination Leg of the "Amazing Race" season and rather than falling to the back of the pack again, Bill & Cathi went off on a run of solid legs that took them all the way to the Top 5.

Yes, Bill & Cathi were eliminated on Sunday's (Nov. 27) episode, but not before winning a slew of admirers, including Keoghan, their fellow Racers and one Belgian weightlifting judge, who was especially impressed with Bill's wiry physique.

Whether climbing rock walls, churning butter or carrying beds on their backs, Bill & Cathi never seemed like anything less than the equals of their younger rivals.

HitFix: So how have friends and loved ones responded to your new-found careers as bodybuilders?

Bill Alden: Shocked.

Cathi Alden: Yeah, everybody was, of course, just as mortified as we were that we were up there, but they've all been really kind and supportive.

HitFix: What was the biggest challenge of that particular task for y'all?

Cathi: To be honest, it was to memorize the moves in the right sequence and with the right definition. This is a highly polished artistic skill that these people have, so it was very difficult for us to learn it. Plus, we truly were mortified at what we were wearing, so our brains were not functioning at 100 percent.

HitFix: On the other hand, Bill received a very enthusiastic compliment from one of the judges. How did that make you feel?

Bill: Well, it felt good. I never expected to be exposed to that extent and I'm not a very avid dancer anyway, so as Cathi put it, the stress... When we went up there the first time, we didn't have it down, but the fella said, "Come on. You've gotta get up there and do it once so you've got the idea." Well, after being booed, the idea was "I'm not gonna go out there again."

HitFix: Cathi, you referred to the "artistry" of bodybuilding. I assume that was something you wouldn't necessarily have realized before you had this experience?

Cathi: No! In fact, when we opened the clue, it was something like "Who wants to do a little bodybuilding?" and so I'm thinking -- wrongly, of course -- that first of all, we would keep the clothes that we had on on and then that we would learn some things and demo them. I didn't have any idea that it would be as precise and strict as it was.

HitFix: Going back to the very first episode of the season. If you guys had actually gone home after that very first leg, how would you have approached the whole "Amazing Race" experience?

Bill: Well, the thing that occurred there, that we got turned around, what would have been the very large heartache is that we knew we could do these tasks and to be deprived of not getting the opportunity to show that we could could do them would really hurt. The million dollars, that's just a huge bonus, way out there, no question, but to not have been able to show that we can do this, that would have really hurt.

Cathi: I just totally agree. You go into it knowing that you have some skills and strategies and not to be able to demonstrate any of those would have made us feel bad. We would have had a lifetime of, I think, sorrowful thinking, whereas what we have now is just great memories and knowing that we did the best job that we could at that moment.

HitFix: In terms of your energy and subsequent approach to the race, how beneficial was that reprieve?

Cathi: I think it just shocked us into realizing that we needed to absolutely have a strategy for every moment. We couldn't wait until we got somewhere to think about how we were going to behave. We started strategizing whenever we were on the conveyance: "OK. We have to know which door to go off of the train. We have to know probably where the center of the station is." So we were much more active strategists after that.

HitFix: Was that just an example of you guys experiencing the sort of thing that we maybe don't instantly think of when we're sitting and watching the show on our couches?

Cathi: Absolutely. We had viewed it for years and been pretty judgmental, which I will never do again. You don't see how tired the teams are. You don't see the very, very big difference that getting off of a train 90 seconds ahead of another team can make in terms of getting the great taxi. You don't see that.

Bill: Also, when we were wandering around in Taipei for four hours, that's four hours of wandering around in 95 degree heat and the other teams were already in their hotel rooms. So for older folks to give up those four hours and be in that stressful situation, it's really hard. So every moment that you can rest, you'd better.

HitFix: Cathi, what kinds of things did you used to judge people for?

Cathi: Oh, we judged them for being stupid! And, again, when you just watch people, you don't have the empathy of knowing how exhausted they are or how difficult the communication can be. So when they do things that are not thoughtfully strategic, I was always pretty harsh with them. I won't do that again, because when people make mistakes, it's generally because they're tired or don't have all the information. It's not that they really are stupid.

Bill: Also, when somebody runs right by a clue box and the camera goes and focuses on the clue box, you think, "Well, they're either blind or they have their eyes shut," but in reality, you get a preconceived notion that something is going to be a certain way and it's hard to see beyond that.

Cathi: I think the best example of that was the sign at the orphanage. None of us had any idea that there was a second step to handing over the money that we had earned. So everybody's in a rush. Everybody's in a panic because we're trying to get to that Pit Stop. So eight of the 11 teams didn't bother to even look at what else was on that table. So kudos to the three teams that did see it, but it's hard.

HitFix: So as fans of the show, but also now as experienced Racers, what was it like watching the orphanage episode, watching the Taipei episode and seeing yourself fall into those traps?

Bill: [Laughs ruefully.]

Cathi: It was hard, because what you want to do is reach into the television and slap yourself so that you'll do it differently, but you know you're not gonna do it differently.

Bill: Also, you've been caught not paying close attention, so at the very next situation, we were extremely apprehensive to not try everything and then it was an obviously thing and we should have just gone with what we had. But yeah, it's set up so well to get you into those kinds of predicaments.

HitFix: When you guys got to the Pit Stop on Sunday night, you talked about how pleased you were with how you'd done and Cathi, you mentioned how this made a statement that age was not something that should stop you from doing things well. Did you guys feel like you ever really were at any kind of disadvantage on the Race?

Cathi: You know, we did not, except we wondered if we recovered more slowly than the other teams, just in terms of snapping back after a 12-hour Pit Stop in which you had to eat, sleep, wash your clothes, do interviews and be ready to go again. We wondered if, because we were older, it was harder on us than on the other teams. But other than that, it really isn't a foot-race very often. We saw Cindy & Ernie and Tommy & Andy duke it out in a foot-race, but that isn't very often the case. More often it's making wise decisions and making good judgements about how to do things.

Bill: And then there's the other aspect to it and that's luck and bad luck. You can say what you want about believing in luck, but the deal is that you ask the right person and "Boom!" you're on your way in the right direction and you ask another person and, not intentionally, but they can send you in the opposite direction and then you're 30 minutes down the tube. So luck had a lot to do with it and we knew that coming in.

HitFix: "Luck" would presumably be something that wouldn't be impacted by youth or age.

Bill: Absolutely. There's another aspect of it and it has to do with the age that we are and that's communication and media. The younger teams were so comfortable and it was such second nature to them to ask somebody for their phone or we know the Internet, but they went even beyond and so that was a disadvantage for us, that we weren't growing up in that era.

HitFix: But let me spin the communication issue a different way. You two seemed to have a fairly massive advantage in terms of the communication just between the two of you. I don't think we saw you guys bicker at all during the entire Race. Were you surprised with how well you held it together?

Cathi: You know, I think we wasted no energy in the entire Race on trivial matters like not getting along or having to worry about each other's feelings because we'd been harsh. So I do think that the maturity of our relationship was a huge advantage, because we were in synch for the entire Race. That kinda surprised us, because we are not always in total agreement on how to do things.

Bill: Well, you know that there's tons of footage that isn't shown, because they just pick the apples. But even in driving, we're comfortable with a Garmin now, but we had to go back to maps and to verbal directions and stuff and even at that, because our long relationship, throwing darts and blaming each other isn't going to move you any closer to your goal, so we even did great on stuff that you didn't see. It was second nature and we were just very goal oriented and we do races in other ways, so... Yeah, it was an advantage for us to be so well attuned to each other.

HitFix: Give me a favorite moment from this experience that we didn't get to see on TV...

Cathi: My favorite moment was in Yogyakarta when we had a taxi cab for the entire day and he got us early in the morning and we went to the cave and we kept that cab driver all day long and he was a dear. He just became part of our team and he wanted us to win and he would have done anything, including ruining his entire car, on our behalf. We were sad that there wasn't much play for him, because he buoyed us up for the entire day. He was splendid.

Bill: My favorite was at the same time in Yogyakarta. We came in late at night. We were actually on a veranda and the sun, it got lighter and lighter, and we were looking down into a valley and then the imam started their call to worship and one would do it and then another one over there and then another and it was... I mean, the hair on your neck came up, because you were looking down into the gray dark and you could hear them, they were on loudspeakers, and it was just surreal, really.

HitFix: And as a last question, what advice would you give to future "older" teams on "The Amazing Race"?

Cathi: Whether you're on "The Amazing Race" or you're just doing life, I think you have to approach everything with gusto and an attitude -- It's Phil's attitude: No opportunity wasted -- that you just have to embrace anything that you want to do and give it a go. It'll work however it works, but to not try is, to me, the greatest tragedy.

Bill: You hear about and you see people who retire and then sit down and that's where they stay and so my advice would be to don't sit down and don't give up. I'm kinda a stay-at-home person and Cathi is a traveler and she is my best friend, so I go with her and I have a good time and even though I may be apprehensive to start with, I get out there and do it. Like Cathi says, it doesn't have to be a race. It's just life. Go out there, keep on your feet, keep active and see as much as you can see, because it's just worth it.

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

“Get Out There" – Reality News Online's Exclusive Interview with The Amazing Race 19's Bill & Cathi by Teeuwynn Woodruff -- 12/12/2011 Bill & Cathi (right) were the last team to hit the Pit Stop on leg one – but luckily for them, and us, it was a non-elimination leg. After that leg, Bill & Cathi showed they were a strong team, particularly when it came to challenges. What was the real reason they were eliminated? How did The Amazing Race change Bill’s view of Cathi? And what did their six kids think of seeing their parents in those bodybuilder outfits? All this and more inside!

Reality News Online: Hi Bill & Cathi! Thanks for talking to Reality News Online! Cathi: We’re happy to!RNO: What made you decide to apply for The Amazing Race?Bill: You just heard her voice! We watched for a long time. Because of our life on the farm and kids, we had sort of done a lot of the tasks we’d seen on the race so we thought we could do that. We talked about it – laughed about it. Then suddenly Cathi had an application and one thing led to another. RNO: What did your six kids think of you going on the race?Cathi: They were really supportive. Then, when we ultimately got on the race, they were just shocked. I think they didn’t know what to think. They thought it was nice we were giving it a try, but had no hope of actually getting on. RNO: And you did well on the race – although the first leg was not a good one for you. What was your thought process in going so far to that building and dealing with that first challenge?Cathi: Oh, it was awful! Not only while we were doing it – it was awful watching it. What was really funny was [our kids] were looking online at the spoilers as we were doing the race. Our daughter saw something online that said, “The old people are lost in Taipei.” They assumed we were done the first leg. They were mortified! RNO: What did the kids think when you weren’t eliminated and went on in the race?Cathi: They were like, “Oh, thank heavens!” Bill: To a team you say, “Just don’t let us go out on the first leg!” RNO: You were eliminated in a two leg section of the race that looked exhausting. You did the body building competition – and looked awesome in it, I must say. What did you think when you saw the outfits you’d be wearing?Cathi: Oh, I just died! I went in and saw this little plastic bag with three strings in it. It never occurred to me that we’d have to put on something that tiny. RNO: How many times did you have to do the body building routine?Cathi: We only did it twice because we practiced like crazy. There was no way we wanted to go in front of the audience any more times than we had to. Bill: We got some boos [the first time]. RNO: What did your kids think when they saw you in those skimpy outfits?Cathy: They were prepared. We had told them they were going to see us in next to nothing. I think they were grateful that most of the shots were long shots. They see us in triathlon gear which isn’t too far off. RNO: Do you know how far behind Tommy & Andy you got to the check in Pit Stop? Cathi: We think we were only about five minutes behind because we actually saw them racing to the gazebo as our taxi pulled up. RNO: There looked to be a lot of driving in this double leg – and that a lot of teams got lost. Did that happen to you much?Cathi: We weren’t ever lost we were just inefficient in covering the distance. And you’re right, if you look at a map of Belgium – from Brussels to the far northeast, Antwerp, then to the central south of Gent, then back to Brussels. It was a tremendous amount of driving. As we look back, we just don’t think we were aggressive enough behind the wheel. Bill: That’s another thing that came with our age. We grew up in an era of rules you just didn’t violate. So a speed limit, when I saw one, seemed awfully important. Then, on the autobahn, I didn’t realize there was no speed limit. I was too conservative in the driving, then we didn’t know shortcuts. Some of the teams did understand Europe a little more than we did and reading the maps. But we got into traffic and we were at a standstill for a while. All of those things combined, five minutes here – five minutes there, and pretty soon you’re 30 minutes behind. So we arrived to the wall late and it was dark and we had trouble finding the clue. RNO: It looked like, in the tasks, you guys did just fine. Bill, how many times did you have to do the slalom course in the Ford Roadblock?Bill: I loved the slalom! I’m a downhill skier so maybe that was part of it. I probably did it four times. I never hit a cone. I was always ahead of the clock, but you only had 20 inches leeway to get your car into the box. I didn’t want to hit the thing in front and I kept stopping too early. I noticed that a couple of the professional drivers said things to their drivers – and mine didn’t. If he had told me just to roll forward a little bit I would have gotten it the first time out. But I did it four times, and I had a blast. I’d have done it five more times! RNO: Do you know how far behind Marcus & Amani you got to the final Pit Stop? Cathi: We were 30 to 60 minutes behind them – based on the lighting. So it wasn’t much, but even one minute is too much. RNO: Bill, you said the race has improved your relationship, even though you two have been married a long time. How do you think the race changed that?Bill: Fifty years… We’ve grown up and grown old together, so we know so much about each other it’s like we don’t need to talk many times. But I saw my best friend in a deeper race commitment. In the race you are under a tremendous amount of stress all the time. You’re running on adrenaline. When your partner, your friend, steps up and supports you even more than normal… I saw hidden depths in her and that made it more special. RNO: What was the smartest thing you did on the race?Cathi: Probably making a commitment at the beginning to have fun – to enjoy it. Certainly to do our best and compete as hard as we could, but not to lose sight of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have these memories. We wanted to make them as positive as we could.RNO: What was the most memorable moment on the race for you?Bill: In the tobacco factory the workers were so fun – they were cheering. They were for us and with us, and I think they felt some empathy for the old guy. They were happy people – and that’s what we saw all over Africa. It was depressing to see how poverty stricken Africa was, but the people didn’t seem to feel sorry for themselves. They seemed to be carrying on and enjoying life and being happy. That was very, very special to me. Cathi: For me, one of my personal joys was carrying the bed on my back going by the other teams. I liked that feeling of “Do it!” For me, as an older woman, it was an opportunity to show what’s inside. RNO: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers about yourselves or the race?Cathi: I think if something looks interesting or challenging then you should do it. We could never have believed that we would be selected for this show – and yet we were. Bill: I’m more of a homebody even than I look on the race. Cathi keeps www.travelsuit.com at hand. She loves to travel. She’s my best friend and partner, so I go with her. So, get out there while you’re still able to. Don’t wait until you’re ancient! We have bicycled Europe, bicycled the British Isles, and so forth. We always meet wonderful people. So, don’t be shy. Get out there and enjoy because when you’re too old, you’re too old. RNO: Well, you two are obviously not. Thank you for talking to me and congratulations on a race well run.Bill & Cathi: Thank you!

I think they both did incredibly well considering the competition, like most people I had them down as going out early but boy did they surprise me, and continue surprising me, it reached a point where I'ld have no objections seeing them in the final 3. It was like backing the underdogs lol

It was sad to see them eliminated but on a whole I think they exceeded every viewers expections and then some, and proved that the older generation are just as capable as the younger, and then some. Over the years we all have seen some weaker older teams come in and get eliminated on various racers early, for one to do as well as Bill and Cathi, they deserve the praise, fair play to them.

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan